Belated Blog Swap News and a Bognor-iffic Time!!!!

Well hello there. I remembered that I hadn't shown you what I got in my blog swap plus I've been encouraging Red to start blogging and I can't really quit when she's just starting, can I? I've got a bit of time in between listing on eBay (anybody else's sales SLOOOOOOOOOOOOW?), struggling with Mr Charming's student loan form and having a bath so here I am!

First my blog swap with the magnificent Lucy from Being of Sound Mind. The box she sent was decorated beautifully (compared to mine which was probably advertising Value Pork Scratchings or somesuch)....

Lucy sent me some really lovely things - she is so creative and must have put a lot of time and effort into my gifts.

Let's see, I got a lovely home-made (I think?) candle in a rose sugar bowl that sits on a little glass and gilt saucer. A glass bird paperweight that's very tactile. I love glass birds. Some Dr Seuss stickers which are great because I always use return labels and stickers on my letters and parcels. A chunky ring. A fab picture in a frame for a Book Lover. Lucy made this herself and covered the frame in decoupaged book pages and used Scrabble tiles for the wording. Finally I got a notebook that had been all Gothed-up with glitter, net and paper. I always have lots of notebooks on the go for my interminable lists. I even got a lovely rainbow from her sweet boys! Thanks so much Lucy. Of course the best part of the swap was that I was matched up with Lucy and I hope we're pals now.... :)

Last Saturday we planned to go to Arundel for the day (me, Big Man and Carb Addict) but as we were driving towards it we saw signs for Bognor Regis and, never having visited before we decided to go there instead. Surprisingly there were not that many people around. We had something to eat in a pub/restaurant on the front and did a spot of people-watching - my favourite pastime and the perfect outlet for my own special brand of snarkiness. There was a little market near the seafront too with a stall selling what I guess you'd call 'rock novelties'. I think it needs a special kind of humour not only to think it's a fun idea to give sweetie genitalia as a gift but also to be happy to receive them. Maybe it's just me but do people really think 'hmm, Margaret on Reception supports the donkey sanctuary and she has a sweet tooth, we'll take her a big sugar penis as a souvenir'? 

Bognor Regis pier - sorry, didn't take any sea photos :S

The beach is extremely stony and seems to just drop off about 12' away from the shoreline. There were the usual hardy families crouched shivering on deckchairs, huddling around the picnic hamper in much the same way as Native American families gathered around the camp fire. Look! They have Granny, the family matriarch scowling beneath her 'I ♥ BR' baseball cap. And there are the young bucks, all goose-pimpled flesh and Fat Face swim trunks filling their fat faces with Scotch Eggs and rock novelties (oooh, Missus!). Their cross-generational day out is more an ordeal to be endured than a fun occasion to enjoy, but having paid £2 each to keep their arses off the pebbles they're unwilling to admit defeat this soon.

 The Lucky Last Hole!

We were unswayed by the dubious pleasures of the amusements and made our way to the town centre where I came across quite a few charity shops. How did that happen, tee hee!!! I did get a few bargains, the best one being four knitted toilet roll covers, complete with the dolls AND the toilet rolls, for the incredible price of 49p EACH!!!! You couldn't buy the doll alone for 49p. Plus they were really well-made. I am threatening Mr Charming with one for his flat when he goes back to uni. I already gave one to my colleague Agata who has just moved into a flat with her husband. She loved it! Another colleague and I were trying to explain to Agata what 'naff' means but how do you explain it to somebody Polish, even when their colloquial English is good?! I also bought a really lovely Warehouse 50s style dress for a fiver and a couple of Pyrex inserts for a hostess trolley, with lids. They only cost £4 and I can probably get £15-£20 for them on eBay. Not a bad haul.

I'd definitely recommend Bognor for a chazzing trip and as it's only 40 miles from me I'll be taking Babcia the next time she comes. She texted me and said that she has had a tic in her eye for a week now and feels just like Inspector Clouseau.
I think she means Herbert Lom.